To meet
growing demand for food, Cambodian farmers have been increasingly resorting to
the use of chemical fertilizers and some banned pesticides. But many are
concerned about their negative effect on public health.
A growing
population and rising incomes have caused a spike in the demand for food in
Cambodia in recent years. In response, farmers in the country have increased
the use of pesticides - some of them illegal - to boost agricultural
production.
But this
rampant use of toxic chemicals, experts warn, is likely to cause many negative
long-term health effects, including immune system disruption, an impaired
nervous system and the development of certain types of cancer, among other
things.
The
hazardous substances are used not just by farmers, but also by retailers who
want to ensure the fruits and vegetables retain their fresh look for a longer
period, as desired by Cambodians.
"Banned
substances such as sodium hydrosulfite and borax, known in Khmer as msao sor
and tek ansar, are used to maintain the fresh look and color of popular food
items like chopped palm fruits, gingers and lemongrasses," Sieng Huy,
execute director of the Cambodian Chemical Society (CCS), told DW.
This is,
however, not a problem unique to Cambodia. Pesticide use is also widespread in
neighboring Thailand, which imports thousands of tons of pesticides every year
worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
These
chemicals are predominantly used by farmers to increase food yields, and they
stringently oppose any measures aimed at curbing their usage. "I know
using chemical pesticides is dangerous for health, but I just cannot avoid
using it," said Sen Sos, a farmer from Battambang.
Agriculture
plays an important role in the Southeast Asian nation's economy, accounting for
about 37 percent of GDP and providing employment to around two-thirds of the
total labor force, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a
UN body.
Against
this backdrop, the government has found it hard to act. "It is difficult
to stop the farmers from using pesticides, given the acute competition they
face on the market," Cambodia's Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon told DW.
Lax controls
Many
pesticides used in Cambodia also fail to meet international quality standards
and unregulated imports of many banned chemicals are readily available in the
country, say critics. "Some illegal pesticides are sold under different
names and labels," analyst Huy said, pointing out that they are likely to
cause serious diseases and cancers in the long run.
Cambodia
also imports vast amounts of agrochemicals from its neighbors Vietnam and
Thailand. While all of them have to be inspected by officials to prevent the
import of illegal substances, the agriculture minister said it's not possible
to guarantee that no illegal pesticides will enter the country, "as they
can be smuggled into the country without the knowledge of the
authorities."
Another
problem is related to the language used for labeling purposes. Many pesticides
found in the shelves of Cambodian shops are labeled in foreign languages like
Thai and Vietnamese. As a result, Cambodian farmers often find it difficult to
understand the instructions, thus routinely resulting in the farmers using the
pesticides in excessive quantities than is prescribed.
This is
why experts call for the labeling to be made available in the local Khmer
language. But that's not all. There are also calls for the government to take
measures to raise awareness among farmers about the ill-effects caused by the
rampant use of pesticides.
No short-term solution?
"Some
farmers are very much aware of the issues involved," said CCS analyst Huy.
"That's why they plant two different crops - one in organic ways that is
intended for their family consumption, while the second involves harmful
chemical pesticides and is intended for others," she explained.
Still,
concrete action on the part of the government to counter the problem is
missing, say critics, even though there is enough public support for taking
anti-pesticide measures.
"The
problem cannot be solved in the short term," the minister noted. He also
added: "I also don't think the use of chemical pesticides is a big
problem, even medicines also have their pros and cons," reflecting his
view that it's not a serious issue facing the country.
Nevertheless,
Cambodia's government has been encouraging the use of biopesticides to ensure
the quality and safety of the nation's food products. However, their use still
remains very limited.
"I
really hope there will be an expansion in the use of biopesticides in our
country, but for now the government doesn't have enough funds to promote
them," Minister Sakhon said.
"The
government has to conduct regular and proper checks of all the chemical
pesticides that are sold in the country, in addition to taking strong action
against those who misuse these products," said Sieng Huy.
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